The Closest Kinsman
by year of the snake
Summary: Kaede had left the village with a husband and two sons... When she returned all that came with her was a girl too old to be a granddaughter and too young to be a good companion. Written for Priestess Skye. Happy Dokuga Moderator Month!


Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. Say hello to the very talented Rumiko Takahashi who owns him and the entire cast. Hello Rumiko Takahashi. Hehehe!

**By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) (aka.) crescentmoon (at mediaminer) And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt and Dokuga.**

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**The Closest Kinsman**

Kaede had left the village with a husband and two sons... When she returned all that came with her was a girl too old to be a granddaughter and too young to be a good companion. Yet the young woman followed the old lady like a rainbow after rainfall.

All the neighbors whispered of the foreign girl, the girl of unknown lineage. How could Kaede think to bring this strange girl into their midst. They faithfully watched the young woman for any misstep and she just as strictly avoided making any. Soon her dedication to Kaede and her observance of their traditions and laws made them accepting of the woman.

So when she began to go out everyday when the lord's workers gathered in the rice to bring home the grains they left for the widows and orphans they allowed her to work with them. But she was still an outsider most of the time. She was left mostly by herself.

One day as she was working in the hot sun the lord of the field and a few of his underlings came walking by to check on the progress and safety of the field. Everything was running smoothly, much to the ex-warrior's dismay.

"Who is this woman?" he asked his subsidiaries. Unfortunately the only one of his men who could tell him he had sent off on a 'mission of great importance', so he wouldn't have to hear his self-important yet somehow whinny voice.

So he called the young woman over and asked her, "Who are you woman?"

She looked up at the demon, then bowed. She answered his question in the strictly traditional way, "I am Kaede-san's daughter, my lord."

One of his henchmen spoke up. "I had heard that Kaede-san had returned with a girl taken from her own country. This must be the one."

"Hmn. Kaede is kin..." He allowed the woman to return to her work and called the man in charge of the field over to him. "Treat this one exceptionally well. Her mother is kin." The man bowed and nodded.

The lord walked on, trailed by his hangers on.

That night the woman enlightened Kaede on how different she had been treated after talking to the lord of the rice field.

"Who is the owner of the rice field, my daughter?"

"Umm... I believe the workers called him... the great Sesshoumaru-sama."

Then Kaede smiled. Her daughter was glad, she could count on one hand the number of times Kaede had smiled since losing her husband and both sons to a plague. "It is good he remembers his duty to family, even one such as I. We will be happy again yet."

"Yes, mother-sama! You will be happy again." the younger girl happily agreed.

Kaede's one good eye gleamed. She grabbed her 'daughter's' hand. "My daughter I have told you that there remains no sons in my womb to give you for husband. Yet there is still family to be husband to you. Sesshoumaru-sama, who never let his duty slide, even to my departed husband."

"What duty does Sesshoumaru-sama have to Yoshi-san?"

"As family to Yoshi, Sesshoumaru-sama has the duty to make sure his family lives on."

"Through me?" asked the girl, not at all stupid.

"Yes my dear, through you! Is it not wonderful? You will give me grandchildren to love, and neither of us will be alone anymore!"

Seeing the sadness dissipating and the hope in Kaede's eye the young woman agreed to do whatever it took to come into another husband and a family for Kaede-san. 'I didn't love Akitoki-san at first either. I'm sure I can grow to love Sesshoumaru-sama as well.' She glanced at Kaede. 'I must for Kaede-san's sake. She has taken such good care of me.'

So when Lord Sesshoumaru returned to the town, she did as Kaede bid. Kaede dressed her up in the finest clothes they owned and styled her hair. She even splurged what little money she had left on lip-color to darken the girl's lips with. Kaede spent all day and into the night making sure her charge was as prefect as she could be with what little they had.

Long after the celebration of the harvest of rice being completely taken in and the last of the hard-core partiers was asleep Kaede sent the young lady out to find the lord and press her claim on him, through her now dead husband Akitoki's name.

Sesshoumaru pretended not to notice the woman that slipped through the sleeping bodies scattered here and there outside. He pretended even more that he didn't realize that she was making her way to him.

When she paused beside him and sat at his feet he knew he couldn't ignore her. "What is it child of Kaede? What petition have you brought to me?" he inquired without opening his eyes.

"I have only one request, my lord. My request is that you fulfill your duty to me as next of kin to my husband, Akitoki-san."

"Wife of Kaede's eldest I am not his nearest kinsman. There is another to whom that honor falls. I will contact him in the morning." He looked at her face under the moonlight.

"If he refuses his responsibility I will not leave you without kin. Should he fail to do right by you young cousin, I will step into the role you have asked of me."

She sighed, the nervousness of it all affecting her stomach. Then she bowed and returned to Kaede's hut.

Kaede immediately asked about the night's goings on. Kagome explained and then shuffled quietly off to bed.

Kaede smiled. She knew who the man was and knew it was likely he would want nothing to do with her daughter. She also knew he was the one man who Sesshoumaru-sama couldn't force to do anything. Sesshoumaru-sama would be her son-in-law and her daughter would be happy again. And she would have grandchildren to love. Life would be great soon.

"Inuyasha, it is your duty to marry the girl."

"I will not. I am waiting for the woman I love."

"Inuyasha, Kikyo is older than you and she is already married. She is unattainable for you. This girl is just as lovely and young enough to bear pups."

"She is also a foreigner. No good ever comes by way of foreign lands."

"Inuyasha..."

"I refuse her. I will have no other than the one I love."

"Will you refuse her before the elders? They do not look favorably upon men who deny the claim of a bereaved woman."

Inuyasha paused, he had been trying to gain a higher standing in the elders' eyes since he was born. This could be his chance to really be accepted by the elders. He would only have to give the woman one child, provided it was male, and keep them both for the rest of their lives. By doing so he would be considered a generous man by the elders, a favorable viewpoint. Yet he would have to give up any chance at having Kikyo, should her husband die.

The half-demon thought it over for a second, "Is she human?"

"Yes." Sesshoumaru foresaw him caving.

Inuyasha laughed, "Than you shall enjoy her peculiarities. I shall deny her, even to heaven."

Sesshoumaru nodded. Then he got up. "So be it."

When the council of elders convened that afternoon Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were there.

"My lords," spoke Sesshoumaru when it was their turn to air out their problem. "We have come before you today because our kinswoman, Keade, has brought home a daughter. Her husband has left her childless. She has petitioned me to find her a kinsman to be husband for her."

"Who is the closest kinsman?"

"I am my lord." Inuyasha answered.

"Kaede's daughter has put forth a claim on you as husband. Will you accept her claim?"

Inuyasha took a dagger from his sleeve. He threw it down before him. "Just as this dagger has failed, I will not protect her. I deny her claim."

"I see" said the ancient head elder. "You are dismissed young man. Who is the next of kin to this Keade?"

"I am." Sesshoumaru stepped before the lords once more. Inuyasha turned to his spot to watch his brother.

"Keade's daughter has put forth a claim on you as husband. Her closest kinsman denied her. Will you accept her claim?"

Everyone held their breath. Sesshoumaru wasn't the type to accept inferior anything, and if Inuyasha rejected her than she must be really inferior.

Sesshoumaru leaned over and picked up the blade. He unsheathed it. The blade glinted in the sun. He slit open one finger to let out a bit of blood. "As long as my blood flows I will use this dagger to protect her. I will accept her claim."

A few cheers immediately went up, more joined in as a group congratulations on his upcoming wedding.

Kikyo died two years before her husband, when Inuyasha got tired of waiting and tried to steal her away. Inuyasha was convicted and beheaded for his crime.

Kagome was married to Sesshoumaru not long after the meeting in which Sesshoumaru accepted her claim. Keade left her house in the village to live with Sesshoumaru and Kagome and her grandchildren, of which there were many. Kagome was soon considered one of the best wives in the country. And one of the most generous.

Kagome was right, she did grow to love Sesshoumaru. But she wasn't the only one under that blessing, Sesshoumaru grew to love her also.

Keade was also right, life was great, and they were happy.

**The End.**

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I wrote this for the Dokuga Moderator Month Challenge, I chose **Priestess Skye **as the person I wanted to give this to because she asked that no GM be given to her. I admire that. She also asked for a sweet Old Fashioned Love story... Well it's old fashioned at least... XD

This story was based on the story of Ruth and Boaz from the bible. It's one of my favorite bible stories, full of faithfulness, duty and love.

Anyway **Priestess Skye** if this doesn't please you let me know.

Please enjoy.


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